Symptom
Anxiety & Stress
Common — and often a sign of nervous system dysregulation
Persistent anxiety or chronic stress. Many patients with anxiety also report disrupted sleep, brain fog, or digestive symptoms — a pattern that often points to autonomic nervous system imbalance.
By Dr. Logan Swaim · Last updated August 12, 2026
Get help with Anxiety & Stress
Three quick questions — we'll call you within 24 business hours.
Understanding Anxiety & Stress
What it is & why it shows up
Anxiety and chronic stress are real, and they are partly a nervous-system experience. Your autonomic nervous system has two main settings: a 'fight or flight' gear that revs you up, and a 'rest and digest' gear that calms you down. When life feels threatening or overwhelming, the revved-up side takes over, which is normal and protective. The trouble starts when the system gets stuck in that high gear and struggles to shift back down, so your body stays on alert even when you're safe.
When that pattern sets in, people often notice more than just worry. Disrupted sleep, brain fog, racing thoughts, a pounding heart, tight muscles, and digestive symptoms frequently show up together. That cluster often points to autonomic nervous-system imbalance, where the body has lost some of its ability to downshift. Common drivers include ongoing stress, poor sleep, past trauma, and the simple fact that a body running in high gear has a hard time settling itself.
Anxiety and depression are genuine medical conditions, and the most important step is appropriate care from your physician and a mental-health professional. Our role is complementary support, never a replacement for that care. We map the nervous system first with a thorough neurological evaluation, then build a personalized care plan focused on supporting your body's ability to shift out of high gear and regulate itself. We strongly encourage you to keep your medical and mental-health team involved, and we're glad to work alongside them.
When parents reach out
Common contexts we see this in
- Often appears alongside disrupted sleep, racing thoughts, and brain fog
- Frequently worsens during periods of high or prolonged stress
- Commonly reported together with digestive symptoms and muscle tension
- Often shows up as a body that stays on alert and struggles to settle
Important
When to seek medical care first
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or feel you may be in crisis, please seek immediate help right now: call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the US) or go to your nearest emergency room. Anxiety and depression are real medical conditions, so ongoing or worsening anxiety, panic attacks, or persistent low mood should be evaluated by your physician and a mental-health professional. Our care is educational, complementary support for nervous-system regulation and is meant to work alongside that professional care, never in place of it.
Inside Little Roots
What gentle care looks like.
Little Roots, littlest fans.
Strong, moving, thriving.
Carly — our favorite kid whisperer.
Keep Exploring
Meet our team
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Our Doctors
A pediatric-trained team behind every visit
Little Roots is led by co-directors Dr. Logan Swaim, MS, DC and Dr. Laura Swaim, DC — both Webster Certified, Dr. Laura through the ICPA — alongside Dr. Grayson Fox, DC, who is PX-Certified with advanced training in chiropractic neurology and a dedicated pediatric focus. Carly Lovato, our chiropractic assistant, and Yohanna Miller, our patient care coordinator, complete the team your family sees at every visit.
Meet the whole team →Want a gentle look at
what's going on?
Start with a complimentary consultation. We listen first, evaluate gently, and recommend only if there's something we can help with.